Not all appointment reminder systems are designed alike. The problem the medical community is currently facing is that they somehow seem to have gotten the idea that if an automated system does not do all the functions that a human receptionist would have done, than it does not do anything at all. This simply is not the case. A medical office does not need to rely on a system that will organize all of their electronic medical files just so that they have a way to transfer the files from their own program to another. If the medical facility is happy with the virtual receptionist software system that they are currently using, there is no reason for them to adjust their entire appointment reminders system. They just need to be willing to make a few adjustments.

If the facility is hoping to be able to transfer their patient's files in a manner that is both safe and secure, they are going to have to make sure that the system they are currently using is compatible with Health Level Seven. This is a non-profit organization that is devoted to making life simpler for the medical community. The way that the program accomplishes this is by creating a standard framework for dealing with patient information that can be used by the entire medical community.

The program was originally created in the United States in the late 1980's and became accredited by the mid-90's. Since its creation the organization has been so useful that approximately 45% of the members are located in Europe and another 15% in Asia. The global membership increases the safety and effectiveness of health care tourism. The headquarters are found in Ann Arbor Michigan.

It is vitally important that all medical facilities and clinics are hooked up with HL7. This connection makes it easy for the facilities to transfer their files and records back and forth. The quicker the facility is able to receive the information that they need, the sooner the patient can be treated. Not only does this increase the speed of patient care, but it also reduces the chances of a misdiagnosis. In addition to making sure that the files are able to be quickly sent from one facility to another, programs that are affiliated with Health Level Seven are also able to send the files in a secure fashion. The more securely the files remain the happier the patients are going to stay.

Not all medical establishments keep the same type of records; some use a very complicated system, while others favor a simpler approach. When a program is synced with Health Level Seven it will adapt itself to the other facilities record system so that the doctor who needs to access the information can read it quickly and decide how to proceed with the patients care. When a medical facility is making sure that their patient appointment reminders software program is compatible with HL7, they want to make sure that it is compatible with the V3 version which is the more recent program.